Behold Here's Poison Read online

  He paused, but Hannasyde only said: ‘Go on, Mr Matthews.’

  ‘It worried me too,’ Randall said. ‘But I have slightly the advantage of you. I know more about the eccentricities of my family. I admit, I was quite at sea until I heard how the poison had been administered. But an idea has occurred to me.’ He looked round the room. ‘Do any of you know what became of Uncle Gregory’s tube of toothpaste?’ he inquired.

  No one answered for a moment; blank faces stared at him. Then Stella’s chair rasped on the polished floor as she suddenly sprang up.

  ‘Randall!’ she gasped. ‘You’re perfectly right! Aunt Harriet took it!’

  ‘I thought as much,’ said Randall.

  Mrs Matthews said in a stupefied way: ‘Harriet took Gregory’s toothpaste? To use ? Well, really! How very distasteful!’

  ‘Are you sure of this, Miss Matthews?’ Hannasyde asked.

  ‘Yes. Oh, perfectly sure! I’d forgotten all about it until my cousin asked that question. Then I remembered at once. It was the very day we found uncle’s body. My aunt had his room turned out, and I met her on the landing, carrying all sorts of oddments she’d collected. I can’t remember what they were – I know she had uncle’s face-flannel, which she said would do for a cleaning rag, and I distinctly remember her showing me a tube of toothpaste. It was half-used, and she said she saw no reason to waste it, and was going to use it herself when she’d finished her own.’

  Sergeant Hemingway, who had been till now a silent but an intensely interested auditor, said: ‘That accounts for the empty tube we found, Superintendent. She’d only just come to the end of it. It puzzled me a bit, that empty one being left on the wash-stand when it looked as though she’d been using the other for several days.’

  Hannasyde nodded. Guy blurted out: ‘Then – then Aunt Harriet’s death was a pure accident?’

  Mrs Lupton drew a deep breath. ‘If this story is true, I can only say that it is a judgment on Harriet!’ she announced. ‘I warned her that her exaggerated economies would come to no good. She would not listen to me, and here is the result! It puts me out of all patience. I am utterly disgusted!’

  ‘Gertrude dear, remember that you are speaking of the dead,’ said Mrs Matthews reproachfully.

  Hannasyde was still looking at Stella. ‘Miss Matthews, can you remember what time it was when you met your aunt on the landing?’

  Stella thought for a minute. ‘Well, I don’t think I can, quite. I know it was before lunch. Somewhere about twelve – but I wouldn’t swear to it. It might have been later.’

  ‘Not earlier?’

  ‘No, I’m sure it wasn’t earlier.’

  ‘Until your aunt went to turn it out, was your uncle’s bathroom locked?’

  She shook her head. ‘Oh no! His bedroom wasn’t either.’

  ‘Could anyone have gone into the bathroom without being seen, do you think?’

  ‘Yes, easily, I should imagine. Why should – oh! To take that tube away, and burn it!’ She looked round, puzzled. ‘But no one did. Then – then it looks as though it wasn’t anyone living in the house, doesn’t it?’

  ‘We don’t know that Fielding didn’t try,’ said Guy. ‘But he didn’t get the chance, because Beecher went up to uncle’s room with him.’

  ‘I’m sure it wasn’t Deryk,’ answered Stella shortly.

  ‘Well, what about Randall?’ said Guy. ‘Just as a matter of interest, dear cousin Randall, what were you doing on the landing that day I found you talking to Stella at the top of the stairs?’

  ‘Just talking to Stella at the top of the stairs, dear cousin Guy,’ replied Randall blandly.

  ‘Stella, what had he been up to?’

  Stella glanced fleetingly at Randall, and saw that he was watching her with a faint smile. ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘You had better ask him. Anyway, Randall hadn’t been near the house for days –’ She stopped, and her eyes widened.

  ‘Exactly!’ said Guy triumphantly. ‘Randall hadn’t been near the house for days, and therefore Randall never even came under suspicion. But the poison could have been put into the toothpaste at any time, and none of Randall’s perfect alibis exist any longer. He hasn’t got an alibi!’

  Fourteen

  Everyone but Stella looked at Randall. Stella cried hotly: ‘You’re a rotten little cad, Guy! Randall never tried to cast suspicion on to you!’

  ‘Randall’s said every spiteful, low-down thing –’

  ‘Yes, because half the time we asked for it! But he didn’t try and do the dirty on you, and you know it!’

  ‘What the devil’s the matter with you?’ demanded Guy, surprised into forgetfulness of his surroundings. ‘You yourself said he was an amiable snake!’

  A low laugh escaped the subject of this argument. ‘My sweet, did you really?’ said Randall. ‘What a classic phrase!’

  ‘I daresay I did once, but –’

  ‘Oh, don’t take it back!’ said Randall. ‘I like it. And don’t bite your little brother’s head off either. That isn’t a bit necessary. It is perfectly true – one might say obvious – that I have no alibi, but then Superintendent Hannasyde, who is quite as quick in the uptake as Guy, if not quicker, probably realised that for himself some time ago. If you look carefully at him you will observe a slight hint of annoyance – one might almost say chagrin – in his face. That is because he, unlike Guy, has also realised that my entry into the ranks of suspects hasn’t eliminated all other suspects, but has merely enlarged the field.’

  Hannasyde had listened to this with an unmoved countenance. He said in his impersonal way: ‘That is quite true, Mr Matthews. But at the same time –’

  ‘Moreover,’ continued Randall, lighting another cigarette, ‘you have no better case against me than you have against anyone else. It is true that I have inherited quite a lot of money, but the most cursory investigation into my affairs will convince you (in spite of the belief current amongst my relations that I have run through a fortune) that I stand in no need of my uncle’s money.’

  ‘That may also be true,’ said Hannasyde. ‘Nor do I propose to go into the matter with you at this particular moment.’

  Randall looked round the room. ‘No, there is rather a crowd,’ he agreed. ‘Stella, my lamb, let us withdraw, and perhaps that will put it into Aunt Gertrude’s head that she is not really wanted here.’

  He clasped his fingers round her wrist as he spoke, and drew her towards the door. Sergeant Hemingway looked quickly at the Superintendent, but Hannasyde made no sign. Mrs Lupton began to say that she expected nothing but rudeness from Randall, but before she could finish her severe and well-worded speech he had gone.

  In the hall he paused, and looked down at Stella, the smile lingering about the corners of his mouth. ‘Well, my love?’ he said. ‘Why didn’t you tell the police that you found me coming out of uncle’s bathroom?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Stella childishly.

  ‘Let us go into the morning-room,’ he said. ‘I have a much worse question coming.’

  Stella allowed herself to be led into the morning-room, but said: ‘Well, only for a minute, then. I – I can’t stop long.’

  Randall paid no heed to this. He shut the door, and said quite gravely: ‘Why did you run to me as though I were your one hope of deliverance, Stella?’

  She blushed. ‘Oh, I didn’t! I mean – you told me you’d see the thing through, and – and I thought you might help us. I was a bit upset.’ She gave a nervous little laugh. ‘Sorry I clutched your beautiful coat!’

  The smile had gone; there was not even a gleam of mockery lurking beneath those long lashes. ‘My coat did not matter,’ said Randall.

  ‘Oh! Well, one wouldn’t have said so, considering the way you –’

  ‘My dear, did you think I was going to let you give yourself away with all our relations present?’

  ‘Give myself – !’ Stella broke off, choking. ‘I don’t know what you think you’re talking about, but –’

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